Sunday, June 5, 2011

Doona 1# covered.

I'm good. I've spent so much of the weekend sewing. I've finished the bedding for the bottom most bunk bed in the caravan.

One pillow case, one fitted sheet and the mixiest-matchiestdoona cover.

Many, many 22cm squares of vintage sheeting, measured, cut, ironed, over-locked and sewn together. Basically, lots of sheets cut up to make more sheets.

More than once I wondered what I was doing and why was I doing it. We all have perfectly good doona covers already. Why was I letting my gang trash my house, cook up all sorts of wild and wonderful snacks and change clothes about a hundred times, so I could sew? Why was I rushing through meals, being impatient with phone conversations and Jazzy's friend's parents, just to sew more squares together?

I guess I knew I couldn't leave it unfinished or I'd never get back to it.

So I sewed and sewed and sewed and sewed.

But then when I finally finished and laid it out on the bed and stood back and saw the bigger picture, I understood. It's bright. It's colourful. It makes me happy. If I am to live in a caravan for up to six months, it may as well be styled to make me happy.

Ok, now that's done I'd better go and hang out the washing, clean up the bomb site that is my house, be friendly Mum to Miss Jazzy's friends and their parents when they arrive, relight the fire, bake something for lunchboxes tomorrow, think about dinner, and then maybe I can pull out some sheets for Miss Jazzy'sdoona cover. Bigger squares this time I think.

I guess I can no longer tease my quilting friends about cutting up fabric to sew it back together again.

That quilt is gorgous!A very happy quilt indeed.Yes my kids will often hear me say to them "just a minute" when I'm engrossed in a project. Today my youngest son actually stood by my side and counted to 60 to make sure!I finished my cushion without injuring any more fingers too.And just relighting our fire too.

That looks great Kate. We are all sick here - somehting a little different and dr's bills plus half a fortune in medication and fingers crossed we will all be on the mend soon. He did not want to give me anything but wrote one up just in case - yeap, I filled in just in case - I can not get any sicker than this. This will definitly make you smile on your trip - still on the count down - not long to go now.

Wow. That is one fantastic doona cover! Well done.By the way, thought I let you know that next Saturday is World Wide Knit in Public Day! We are having a little public get together in over in Castlemaine, in case you are in the area....have a good week,Alex

oh, that is gorgeous(the photos and the doona cover...) and absolutely justifies the cutting up and sewing back together again. I agree, a happy and beautiful space is important (for too long I'd ignored that in our home, but I'm beginning to change that now...)I've loved the better than expected weather here, and I hope you have a lovely week!

I totally agree with the vintage bed sheet thing, it's addictive and necessary to love your manchester! Hence i started making them and goving them away! Then came to my senses and started stashing them again haha

Quilting is addictive, especially the big ones, you want them finished & what more can i say, you're now an addict too, join our club!! What a wonderful journey you're going to have, colourful linen & all those happy smiles, love Posie

OH KATE!! You probably hear this all the time but that sheet...the one with the girl ??fishing ??holly hobby or something.... I totally had that on my bed as a girl and my curtains too..... just down the road from where I live now actually WOW!!

LOVE the doona cover so much and the pillow combos are so sweet. You are rocking the mixy matchy mash up!!

What a fantastic array of vintage sheets you have there...I think that was the perfect thing to have done with them....the whole notion of quilting is crazy but they tell me rather satisfying none the less.

That is beautiful. Somewhere I have bed sheets that were given to me 20 or more years ago and I never used, I'm thinking this would be such a good idea. My favourite square in yours is the one with the tree, it stands out so beautifully.

Confession time...At first I wondered what all the fuss about vintage sheets was. I mean there are so many vintage fabric scraps to be found and had out there right? I would go for velvet and wool and texture first, oh! and silk if I could find it. Okay I 'got' that sheets were big, and I got they were pretty, retro style, floral but I still wasnt a total die hard fan and passed many a folded sheet up until I finally saw the light after Melissa from Clothwork 'had me at patchwork'.Kate, this is too gorgeous! I wont be able to control where my sewing leads me this week after seeing this quilt cover. I was going to do a few simple ones for visitors coming soon but not now. Theyre going to have to be stepped up a cut or two, x

Kate I love, love, LOVE the doona cover and pillow cases. I have started collecting sheets to do the very same thing for when my littlest moves off the cot mattress. You have an awesome sheet stash. Your van will be amazing. I can't wait for the tour!

What a masterpiece Kate! I can totally understand that doona cover making you happy, it's bright, colourful and utterly gorgeous... the little lady modelling with it & her teddy are utterly gorgeous also! It may have been a big effort, but it looks so worth it. Well done!

Kate forget the doona cover, that Pepper is so cute I could just take her home right now and tuck her in with my Liongirl. You could use her to accessorize a sack and everyone would think it was gorgeous. Having said that, the doona cover is the most beautiful combination of colours, as always you keep inspiring. I am getting slightly anxious as to how you will keep the creativity coming while caravanning? melx

Absolutely,delightfully, delicious duvet cover! Well worth neglecting your entire life for. My husband questions why I make dresses for my daughter out of old pillowcases, but make pillowcases from scratch for our beds.You are right - it's all about being happy.Your caravan will be enviably sytled.Have a super week.Carmel

Doesn't Pepper have the face of an angel? Dear little girl in a whirl of colour, a rainbow bed that looks like spring time. I love my own mixed up quilt, and I so know what you mean about it making you happy. Just think it won't be long before you head off on your big adventure, how exciting!! Missed you tonight xo

I soooo like this bright and happy topper! I have one going to quilt this summer before the winter sets in that is all darker, jewel-toned blocks. Just like to change for the season and it looks warmer!

Holy hell woman - that is a mammoth effort. Huge. Love it! Maybe even big long strips - even quicker than squares? Our weekend was over to quick...we looked after my friend who just had a little baby and has POST-eclampsia, bit scary but we couldn't leave her alone and her husband had to work. Baby girl is so sweet and tiny tiny tiny and reawakened my wanting. Saw another friend yesterday with her new baby boy, my wanting was confirmed.... now where is that husband of mine??!!!

Hi Kate, this is such a brilliant idea . I've been thinking about making a patchwork quilt but a duvet cover id so much more useful really .Have you thought of making these for your shop...I think they would be really popular .Jacquie x

I do read every single comment you leave and appreciate it very much, but I should let you know that I can be a wee bit on the useless side when replying to comments, that's just me, everyday life sometimes gets in the way....so I'll apologise now, just in case.